Ronald (McNeil) His Horse is Thunder, Class of ’85, a member of the Hunkpapa-Lakota Oyate, is the tribal chairman for the Standing Rock Reservation and recently served as president of Sitting Bull College from 1996-2005.

In 1988, Ron received his juris doctorate from the University of South Dakota-Law School. Since receiving his law degree, Ron has served in several capacities as an attorney, director and grants evaluator for the Rosebud and Standing Rock Reservations. From 1989-1993, he served as president of Standing Rock College. He then went to work for the American Indian College Fund, based in New York, N.Y., where he served as the president from 1993-1995. In 1995, he accepted the position of president at Little Hoop Community College in Fort Totten, N.D.

Among the many other professional positions Ron has held, in 2002, President George W. Bush appointed him as chairman of the President’s Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges and Universities. Ron has served as a commissioner for the Higher Learning Commission for the North Central Accreditation for Schools and Colleges. He has also served on the boards of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and North Dakota Tribal College Association.

His Lakota name, given to him by his grandfather, is Tasunka Wakinyan-His Horse is Thunder.